Common Scams in China: 12 Tourist Traps to Avoid (2026 Guide)

China is generally a safe country for tourists, but the same tourist traps that exist in any major destination operate here. The good news: most scams are avoidable with basic awareness. The biggest shift in 2024–2026 has been the government crackdown on tourist traps in Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an, plus widespread Alipay/WeChat Pay reducing the cash-handling scams that used to dominate. This guide covers the 12 most common scams in 2026, with real prices and how to avoid each.

The 12 most common scams

1. The “teach you to use the subway” scam

The setup: An English-speaking “student” or “tourist” approaches you at a subway station, offers to “help” you buy a ticket, walks you to a ticket machine, and points you to a route that takes you past (or into) a teahouse, art gallery, or “free cultural experience.”

The cost: ¥500–5,000 ($70–700) for tea, calligraphy, or “art” you didn’t want to buy.

How to avoid:

• Decline any “help” from strangers in tourist areas
• Use the metro’s English self-service kiosks yourself
• Buy tickets via the Metro Daduhui (大都会) app or the Alipay metro QR code — no interaction needed

2. The “art student” calligraphy scam

The setup: Two young people in their 20s approach you near a tourist attraction. They say they’re art students, ask to practice English with you, then take you to a “free” calligraphy or painting demonstration. The demonstration becomes a hard-sell of overpriced scrolls or paintings.

The cost: ¥500–3,000 ($70–420) per scroll.

How to avoid:

• Be skeptical of anyone who approaches you uninvited in tourist areas
• Never follow strangers to a “shop,” “studio,” or “teahouse”
• Politely say “不好意思, 我很忙” (bù hǎo yìsi, wǒ hěn máng, “sorry, I’m busy”) and walk away

3. The taxi overcharging

The setup: Unlicensed taxi drivers at airports, train stations, and tourist sites refuse to use the meter, quote inflated prices, or take long detour routes.

The cost: 2–10x the legitimate taxi fare.

How to avoid:

• Use DiDi (滴滴), China’s Uber — pay with Alipay, no cash, no language barrier
• For official taxis at airports, go to the designated taxi stand (出租车等候区), not the drivers shouting at you in the parking lot
• Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai Pudong, and Xi’an Xianyang all have official taxi queues
• Most major cities also have Metro Express Lines from the airport (¥25–50) that are cheaper and faster

For full DiDi setup, see our DiDi guide for foreigners.

4. The “broken taxi meter” scam

The setup: A taxi driver picks you up, claims the meter is broken, and quotes a fixed price that’s 3–5x the real fare. The meter isn’t actually broken.

The cost: 3–5x normal fare (¥150 vs. ¥40 for a typical cross-city ride).

How to avoid:

• Get out and find another taxi if they say the meter is broken
• Use DiDi (the fare is set in the app; no haggling)
• Take a screenshot of the meter reading at the start and end of your trip

5. The fake “antiques” market

The setup: Beijing’s Panjiayuan, Shanghai’s Dongtai Road, and similar antique markets sell “Ming dynasty vases” and “Qing dynasty scrolls” that are modern reproductions. The seller uses a long backstory about “my grandmother’s dowry” to justify the price.

The cost: ¥200–50,000 ($28–7,000) per item. The “real” price is maybe ¥10–100 for a reproduction.

How to avoid:

• Treat any “antique” at a tourist market as a reproduction unless you have expert verification
• Don’t buy antiques that you plan to export — pre-1795 antiques require official certificates to leave China
• If you must buy, haggle hard (start at 10% of the asking price) and pay in cash

6. The counterfeit money swap (declining)

The setup: A vendor at a market or small shop gives you counterfeit RMB notes in change. This scam was common 5 years ago but is now rare thanks to mobile payment adoption.

The cost: ¥50–500 ($7–70) per transaction.

How to avoid:

• Use Alipay or WeChat Pay for everything — eliminates the risk entirely
• If you must use cash, check every note (especially ¥100 bills) for the silver security strip and the “RMB” hologram
• Use bank ATMs (Bank of China, ICBC, etc.) which dispense verified notes

For Alipay setup, see our Alipay guide.

7. The “free guide” at tourist sites

The setup: An “official” guide at a tourist site offers free English tours. The “free” tour ends at a souvenir shop where the guide gets a commission on your purchases.

The cost: Marked-up souvenirs, ¥100–2,000 ($14–280).

How to avoid:

• Book guides through Trip.com, Klook, or your hotel — they’re licensed and accountable
• Look for the official tour guide certificate (导游证) — real guides have a numbered badge
• A real licensed guide charges ¥200–500 ($28–70) per half-day, not “free”

8. The counterfeit ticket seller

The setup: Outside the Forbidden City, Great Wall, or Terracotta Warriors, scalpers offer “discount tickets” that turn out to be invalid, expired, or for a different date.

The cost: ¥100–500 ($14–70) per ticket, plus the embarrassment of being turned away at the gate.

How to avoid:

• Buy tickets only from official sources — Trip.com, the attraction’s official WeChat mini-program, or the on-site ticket window
• The Forbidden City requires advance booking with your passport; there are no scalped tickets
• For Great Wall, the MuBus from Wangfujing includes the official ticket in the price

9. The “massage” or “karaoke” invitation

The setup: A friendly stranger (often near a bar district) invites you to a “great local bar” or “cheap massage.” The bill at the end is ¥2,000–10,000 ($280–1,400).

The cost: Drinks, “service fees,” and sometimes threats if you refuse to pay.

How to avoid:

• Don’t follow strangers to bars, KTVs, or massage parlors
• Stick to well-known establishments (the bar street in Sanlitun, KTV chains like K-Party)
• If a bill seems inflated, ask for a printed receipt and call the police (110)

10. The “beautiful photo” at night markets

The setup: Vendors at night markets (Wangfujing Snack Street, Muslim Quarter) offer to take a photo of you with the food, then demand ¥20–50 ($3–7) for the “service.”

The cost: ¥20–50 per “photo.”

How to avoid:

• Ask the price before any photo is taken
• Better: ask a fellow tourist to take your photo
• Selfies are free

11. The “closed attraction” redirection

The setup: A “helpful” stranger at a tourist site tells you the attraction is “closed today” or “you need a special ticket.” They redirect you to a different (paid) attraction or a souvenir shop.

How to avoid:

• Always check the attraction’s official hours on their website or WeChat mini-program
• Closed days: the Forbidden City is closed Mondays, most museums are closed Mondays
• Don’t trust strangers with bad news about the place you’re trying to visit

12. The “your phone is broken” trick

The setup: A pickpocket or thief bumps into you, “drops” something, or stages a scene where you feel obligated to help. While you’re distracted, an accomplice steals your phone or wallet.

The cost: A ¥3,000–10,000 ($420–1,400) phone, or worse, your passport.

How to avoid:

• Keep your phone and wallet in zipped inner pockets or front pockets
• Don’t stop for strangers who “drop” things, “lose” something, or ask for help
• In crowded subways and tourist sites, hold your bag in front of you
• If you feel a bump, immediately check your pockets

The one scam that’s now mostly gone

The “fake English student” at universities used to be a Beijing institution — students would invite you to “English corner” at Peking University, then drag you to a teahouse for a ¥1,000 bill. Universities have cracked down on this. It still occasionally happens, but it’s much less common than 5 years ago.

What to do if you get scammed

1. Don’t escalate physically. Aggression toward Chinese citizens can lead to detention, even if you were scammed.
2. Call 110 (police) for serious scams (over ¥500 or involving threats).
3. Call 12301 (tourist complaint hotline) for tourist-related issues. The line has English support.
4. For credit card fraud, call your card’s international emergency number (Visa: +1-303-967-1096, Mastercard: +1-636-722-7111).
5. For Alipay/WeChat Pay disputes, contact the platform’s customer service (Alipay: +86-571-26886000, WeChat: +86-755-86013388).

Verified: “Chinese authorities ordered hotels, restaurants, and tourist sites across the country not to refuse foreign guests and to improve foreign-language reception services, including coordination with online platforms to offer English training to hotel front-desk staff” — Shanghai Government, accessed 2026-07-24

The big 2024-2026 change: mobile payment killed most scams

The single biggest reason tourist scams have decreased since 2020 is Alipay and WeChat Pay adoption. When you pay by mobile:

• No cash to be counterfeited
• No way to “forget” to give change
• No “broken meter” — the app shows the price
• No need to engage with anyone at a ticket counter

The 2024 Alipay+ integration with Visa, Mastercard, and JCB made it possible for foreigners to use their foreign cards directly. The remaining scams operate mostly on:

• Tourists who don’t speak Chinese and panic
• Tourists who don’t have mobile payment set up
• Tourists who buy “antiques” as gifts (don’t)

The simplest defense

Set up Alipay before you arrive. The 5-minute setup eliminates 80% of these scams. See our Alipay setup guide for step-by-step instructions. For DiDi, see our DiDi guide. With both apps installed, the only remaining risk is being pickpocketed — which is rare in China compared to most major tourist destinations.

When in doubt

Most Chinese people are honest. A stranger who approaches you in a tourist area is the exception, not the rule. If someone’s help feels too good to be true, it is. Smile, say “谢谢, 不用了” (xiè xie, bú yòng le, “thanks, no need”), and walk away.

Where to book

After reading this, you’re already ahead. Book confidently:

• Book your flight via Trip.com — avoid airport touts, book in advance
• Find Beijing hotels — never trust an airport taxi driver who says your hotel is closed

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